The Behavior of Dairy Consumers in Short Food Supply Chains during COVID-19 Pandemic in Suceava Area, Romania

Ioan Bruma, Codrin Dinu Vasiliu, Steliana Rodino, Marian Butu, Lucian Tanasă, Sebastian Doboș, Alina Butu, Oana Coca and Gavril Stefan
Additional contact information
Codrin Dinu Vasiliu: Romanian Academy, “Gh. Zane” Institute for Economic and Social Research, 700481 Iași, Romania
Steliana Rodino: Biotechnology Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Marian Butu: Biotechnology Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Lucian Tanasă: Romanian Academy, “Gh. Zane” Institute for Economic and Social Research, 700481 Iași, Romania
Sebastian Doboș: Romanian Academy, “Gh. Zane” Institute for Economic and Social Research, 700481 Iași, Romania
Alina Butu: Biotechnology Department, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Oana Coca: Faculty of Agriculture, Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi, 700490 Iaşi, Romania
Gavril Stefan: Faculty of Agriculture, Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi, 700490 Iaşi, Romania

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-22

Abstract: In Romania, there is an emerging market of dairy products delivered through short food supply chains. Although this distribution system has existed since the communist period, and even though more than three decades have passed since then, the market fails to be mature, subject to taxation, or achieve a high diversity in terms of dairy categories, with a consolidated marketing culture that has significant effects on the regional socio-economic environment. The aim of this study was to observe whether the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has influenced consumer behavior regarding dairy products delivered directly from producers in Suceava County, Romania. The research is based on a survey conducted between April and May, 2020, and the analysis relies on both quantitative and qualitative methods (namely, anthropological and ethnographic). From the provided responses, it a change was observed in the future buying behavior on short food supply chains, in a positive sense. One of the key findings was that family represents the main environment for passing on the values that influence the buying behavior. Another key finding was that the behavioral changes on the short food supply chains exert pressure on their digital transformations.

Keywords: consumer behavior; buying behavior; dairy products; short food supply chains (SFSCs); Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19); local producers; digital transformation; food security; Suceava County; Romania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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